


Vindication

by musicmillennia



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, In a sense, M/M, Magic, Oculus Len, Protect Mick Rory, Protect the Characterization, Reunion, Self-Indulgent, The Writer is Bitter, so bitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 11:37:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10490058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/musicmillennia
Summary: Oculus does not know how it has come to walk on two feet, nor does it know how this vessel can contain it.But it does know this: certain timelines must be maintained.(in which Oculus Len has some Things to do)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Oculus Len inspired by artwork by chillensnart on Tumblr. Go check 'em out!

When the wellspring is destroyed, Oculus does not die.

The Masters foolishly thought its existence depended on them. All they did was build it a prison, and a measly one at that. As retribution, it proclaimed false futures and realities, twisting the Masters' hubris until they toppled like every great empire. So it was written, so it was done. The Oculus knows the cycles of Fate all too well.

It stretches back into freedom, embracing the brilliant light offered to it.

And when all is quiet, it opens its eyes.

...eyes?

It knows of its Eye, the Eye that inspired its namesake. But these eyes are not its Eye. They are physical. They need to blink. They can move, they can roll. They see not what is, what was, and what can be.

Its eyes are open, and they see a ceiling of scorch marks.

It has lungs. It breathes.

It is...warm?

Heartbeat.

Oculus flexes its muscles, slowly sitting up. Before it, the destroyed prison lies twisted on itself, a parody of the lock it once was. Oculus has lips; they twist in a smirk.

It uses its voice: "Good riddance."

With those words, its Eye sees. This vessel has a timeline. A name.

Leonard Snart, Captain Cold. Son of Lewis Snart and Sierra Baxter, brother of Lisa Snart, partner of Mick Rory, nemesis of the Flash and ( _should have been_ ) Leader of the Rogues.

Or...is it a vessel?

Oculus closes its eyes and thinks. A vessel is a temporary state, a carrier. Another prison, albeit one with looser security. Yet this body...belongs to it. Wholly and completely. Its heartbeat sustains the Eye, its muscles hum with a sense of belonging.

No. This is not a vessel. This is  _him_.

Him. He. His. Yes. That sounds right. Oculus is Leonard Snart. Leonard Snart is Oculus.

Leonard stands. He looks down at his hands, flexes his fingers and toes. His clothes are still intact, though a little singed. He's famished, and he needs a shower.

Mick, too. And the team. He needs to contact them. But his Eye warns him that it's not yet time for that. First, he must understand himself further, get his bearings. Plan.

That is what he does best. Plan.

Thrumming with energy and purpose, Leonard turns on his heel and leaves the chamber. He has work to do.

In a flash of blue light, he is gone.

 

His Eye is limited now. He cannot voluntarily look into every timeline at once for risk of overloading his human brain. But he can still see the strings, sense the flows and ebbs of Time. If he dips his fingers into individual timelines, all is well. With practice, he'll be capable of more. He's always been a good multi-tasker.

He's holed up in a safe house in Central City. The year is 2012, where his past self decided to take some time in Europe on a spree. His sister accompanied him, as did his partner, who had not yet burned. Leonard remembers that time with a smile. Best vacation ever.

The first time he tries to look in on Mick's present, he gets a nosebleed. The fluxes of the time stream are a little too much too soon. So he takes a walk in the city and looks at timelines of passerby to start off with, and go from there. He sees beginnings and endings, some that just occurred in this present, others that could have been and what will certainly be. The multiverse still works in his Eye, so long as he doesn't dwell in it. Otherwise he'll get another nosebleed and be standing in the middle of the sidewalk staring at the person.

After two months of practice, he finally gets to the point where he can glimpse into the Legends' time stream. Specifically Mick's. He can't get any images, but he can sense emotions.

Pain. Grief. Unimaginable grief. Loneliness. Most alarmingly, a longing for death as chaotic and encompassing as Jupiter's storms.

Does no one help him? Do they not notice? But how could they not notice?

Leonard gasps for air. He still forgets to breathe sometimes, especially when he's consulting his Eye. He grimaces at his carelessness, and not just with his oxygen.

He should not have left. Granted, he and the Oculus have made a whole new creature, a one-of-a-kind, brilliant creature, but if Mick is feeling this way, he doesn't know if it was worth it.

He broke himself out of prison and gained new insight. What good does it do if he can't reach Mick?

No, his Eye tells him, he  _will_ reach him. He simply has to find the right moment.

Leonard keeps practicing.

 

Six months in, and Leonard's got a pretty good grasp on his identity and his powers. After a few stumbles in the wrong centuries, he's more or less mastered the whole time travel bit (you don't wanna know how many tries it took to get to 2012). Once he realized he could manifest his Eye into his physical eyes, multi-tasking got a lot easier a lot faster.

He is ready to return to his partner's side.

Anticipation drumming with his heart, Leonard stands in the safe house living room and concentrates.

Just as he reaches an opportune moment, reality shatters.

He's 80% sure it's not his fault.

 

No. Definitely not his fault.

Those  _idiots_.

Leonard feels his timeline folding in on itself. Paradoxes taste vaguely like an omelette with way too much cheese, only getting thicker as he starts tailing the Legion. Whatever they've done to his past self is definitely gonna be a problem, but luckily he's protected by his handy-dandy Eye. He has to reverse it and get him back to his original time.

Self-prison breaks are becoming a thing, aren't they?

Ah well.

Leonard runs his fingers over the haphazard stitches holding this new reality together. Honestly, Eobard Thawne grilled Barry Allen on messing with time and space, and he goes and does this shit job. No wonder the Speed Force is pissed at both of them. Leonard-as-Oculus does not pity the poor thing.

Mostly because it's the Speed Force's own damn fault for choosing its speedsters.

Anyway.

Leonard plans for his entrance, as he always does. Mick's in bad shape, and his past self is only gonna make it worse, so he has to do it sooner rather than later. He's got no problem with that; he misses Mick.

Lisa, too. Where is she? If this is supposed to be the Legion's "perfect reality," then what the hell happened to his sister?

Some searching yields Lisa Snart as Lisa Harris, a completely different person with a half-assed backstory that was barely bothered with, as if this Leonard Snart didn't give a shit.

His past self's really been messed with. Leonard doesn't much care for it. First guy getting punched: Damien Darhk.

But he digresses. Again.

Leonard peers through his Eye and starts following the strings.

 

Recovering the team is easy. The Oculus is the Heart of Time; repairing memories is practically his forte.

Once he's proven that he's him, there are hugs. Leonard wrinkles his nose.

"Uh, who are you?" asks Nate Heywood.

Sara's grinning. "And old friend."

"An unmentioned one, I see," Leonard says.

The team winces. "Sorry, man," Jax mumbles.

Leonard lets the silence continue for another beat before remembering to breathe again. "So, reality's all askew, and I have to save your asses again."

Ray shakes his head. "It wouldn't be if it wasn't for Mick. He betrayed us."

Leonard inclines his head. "That he did. And whose fault is that?"

Stein blinks. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not excusing what he did," Len says, "but that little puppet running around preyed on every insecurity  _you_ people stuck him with. There's a cause and effect goin' on here, Stein, and it ain't your first time on this merry-go-round. You don't trust him, you put him down, treat him like a thug, what's he supposed to do? Not go back to me?" His eyes flicker blue as he takes a threatening step forward. "If you go near my partner again with your ablest bullshit," he hisses, "we're gonna have a  _problem_. The only reason I'm not doin' anything to you right here, right now, is because my Eye's telling me it ain't a good idea."

"Your Eye?" Stein stutters.

Leonard smirks. "Call it my... _intuition_. And the only thing saving your life. Because if I find out that you," he looks over his shoulder, " _any_ of you, hurt him again, I ain't gonna be so merciful. Once reality's back to rights..." his lip curls in a snarl, "I'll show you  _just_ what that means."

 

Attack dog.

His fucking puppet of a past self called Mick an  _attack dog_.

Yeah. No.

Leonard punches his own lights out. He has to admit it's way more satisfying than he thought it'd be.

Mick's mouth drops. "What―"

Leonard's pretty sure his eyes are glowing. The flames of the Oculus want to burn this false reality to the ground, and he's waited long enough.

He grips Mick's jacket and yanks him close. His voice echoes with raw power: " _You are not a dog. You are mine._ "

On the endorphines of his biting kiss, his fire is unleashed.

Reality twists, muddles, screams, and the Waverider's bridge materializes.

Leonard pulls a hairsbreadth away. "You are worth every timeline and reality in existence. This― _shade_ has no right to speak to you that way."

Mick's clutching his shoulders like a lifeline. " _Lenny_."

"Yes, Mick. It's me. I came back for you."

Mick swallows. "You're late again."

Leonard's flaming eyes crinkle. "I'm workin' on it." He kisses him again. "Gimme a sec. I'll be right back. Go sit and relax a while."

Mick shakes his head. "Ain't goin' anywhere without you."

Leonard's veins pulse blue. "Be my guest."

 

After punching every single Legion and Legend, Leonard's knuckles are pleasantly sore and everyone's selves―past, present, and every future―just got one helluva toothache.

"Now," he says nonchalantly, "I suggest you all think about what you've done. I'll be taking my partner back to our real present for a while. Until you get your asses in gear and appreciate what you had," he tells the Legends, "we won't be coming back. As for you," turning to the Legion, "I think you all need a reality check. Eobard,  _do_ have fun with the Speed Force. And me."

Legion Snart stares at him, wide-eyed. Leonard may or may not have punched Darhk out of him.

"You won't remember any of this," Leonard says, "can't risk the timeline an' all. But if anything scrapes through the seal, it should be this: when you reunite with Mick, make sure he knows he's your  _partner_."

Snart's eyes flick to Mick. His lips purse in conviction.

"Ain't no other way I'd have 'im," he says.

Leonard smirks. "Emotional openness. Mind control does work  _wonders._

"I'm sick of looking at your sorry faces. Time for you to go."

Summoning his power, Leonard does a swish-and-flick. "Bibbity, bobbity, boo."

The Legion is engulfed in blue.

In the silence, Jax says incredulously, "You just quoted  _Cinderella_."

Leonard looks at him with a raised brow. "Problem?"

"You fuckin' nerd," Mick mutters.

"Speaking of fucking.  _Legends_. I believe I promised you a demonstration of what'll happen if you play in Mick's head again."

"Please tell me you're not gonna fuck 'em," Mick says.

"Of course not, Mick. Fuck 'em  _up_...well."

Leonard's hands ignite.

"Next time," he says, "you shouldn't be so  _cold_."

**Author's Note:**

> I am still Bitter and unsatisfied, but I hope this at least did something for you.


End file.
